Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-05-03
DAILY HERALD.
FIERCE FLAMES.
i Thirty y-Five Thousand
Dollar Fire.
THE ASHLEY HOUSE BURNED,
Walton 4 Wachtel's Furniture
Warehouse Consumed
Church Damaged

At the City Council yesterday after
noon the Richmond Fire Alarm Co. sen
In q communication stating that the
apparatus was In good working order,
and last night it was used to good pur-
nose iu turning an alarm from box No.
81. at about half past eight o'clock for a
Hre ON Third street, between Fort and
Hill. which promised at one time to
urove n very serious confsgration.
There we're, as usual, several stories as
10 how the fire was discovered. but the
twu which seemed to be the most relia-
ble we're those told by Mr.. J. d. Camp
hell, who resides directly opposite the
furniture warehouse where the tire
started, and the son of MIR. Fuller, of
the firm Of Fuller & Day, who resides
in the rear of the First Congregational
Church, on the corner of Third and
Hill streets. MIR. Campbell stated that
he vas ut the front porch of his house
and saw what appeared to be flash Of
fame and smoke. Abont the same time
some man whom he did not know rushed
MP to the front door Of the warehouse
AID broke it open. Shortly after, the
alarm was turned in, and by that time
the flames had burst through the r6of.
Master Fuller stated that he was at the
stable in the rear OF the warehouse, and
his attention was attracted by what
seemed to be an explosion toward the
center of the building. As soon as be
discovered that the place was on fire he
ran and gave the alarm. These stories
gave no indication of the manner in
which the fire had started, except that
Il had evidently started among the paints
and ellis which were stored in the central
poriien of the building. The warehouse
had been locked up for the night, and
none of the employees could be found,
nor wero either of the proprietors,
Messrs. Walton L Wachtel, seen in the
vicinity. The representative OF the
HERALD arrived ON the scene before
the first alarm had been completed.
and at that time the flames
were rising high in the air from the CEN
tral portion of the building which was a
oue-story frame and had served as a
skating rink about two years ago. By
the time the first engine had arrived on
the scene, the flames burst out from all
the windows and the heat was intense.
LITTLE WATER.
There was but little water in the mains,
which were but ak inch, and it was fully
ten minutes before a stream of any con-
sequence could be brought to bear. The
neighbors and iremen seeing that the
Ashley House was in danger of catching
ran up the steps and warned Mr.. Ashley
who came to the door unaware that
there was fire in the neighborhood.
The boarders at the Ashley House had
risen from the dinner table not long be-
fore and some were in the parlors while
others had gone to to their rooms. They
seemed for moment TO be panic
stricken. but the sight Of the
spreading flames warned them that
they had not o moment TO spare. BY
this time the Constables and Police were
;, On the ground, and in a few seconds
there were at least fifty people at work
in the Ashley House, engaged 10 carry.
ing out the furniture, trunks and paint
ings. From this time until the walls
were falling in there was constant
stream OF men aud ladies carrying every
thing they could lay hands on out into
the street. BY the efforts OF these indi-
viduals nearly everything OF value was
saved from the Ashley House. Some OF
the furniture was injured in the haste to
yet it into the street. The first stream
which was put on the fire was directed
to saving the Ashley House, but the
supply OF water was so small that it had
no eject. As the minutes passed by
the flames from the furniture warehouse
grew hotter, and by the time all OF the
four streams were brought into
play the top story of the Ashley
House was on fire and q few
minutes later the lower stories were
ON fire on the side nearest Hill street.
FIREMEN's EFFORTS.
When it was seen that the Ashley
House could not be saved the Fire De.
partment turned its attention to saving
The First Congregational Church, on the
corner of Third and Hill streets. which
was separated from the warehouse only
by q narrow strip of land, and the
building belonging to DR.. Edgar, No. l4l
Fort street, occupied by Mrs. J. w.
Wiswell. Two streams were turned on
the church at first, but later ON one of
them was taken off and put on Mrs.
Wiswells house. Several times the
church caught ON fire, and the members
OF the Morris Vineyard Hose company
performed excellent work in keeping the
church from being consumed. At least
four times the cornices around the roof
of the wing caught fire, and in order to
reach the flames the tiremen had to ex.
pose themselves to the most intense
heat which had charred the whole side.
While the fire was at its height
thu willing people who by this time had
congregated from all over the city,
thought that Mrs. Wisewell's house was
In danger and in few minutes all the
furniture was taken out into the street,
notwithstanding the objections of Mrs.
Wiswell and several others. Early in
the evening some enterprising individ-
ual entered the basement OF the church
and turning off the gas removed the
meter to prevent any danger of gas
explosion. Members of the congrega-
tion of the church as soon as there ap-
reared to be danger of that editice
catching, commenced to remove the
most valuable furniture, but 1t sotn n
became apparent that the Morris Vine
yard Company would be able to avert
such disaster, and these efforts were
Abandoned, though they held themselves
In readiness to take hold at moments
warning. Among the boarders at the
Ashley House was Mrs. Martinique,
who was confined to her bed
with broken hip. Her room
was on the side nearest the warehouse
and was one Of the first to catch firs.
AN INVALID.
Her son who was with her obtained as
sistance and she was carefully carried te
the residence of Mrs. ]. d. Campbell
across the street. While she was being
taken across the street, the fire was so
hot that all the residents had out their
garden hose ard were busily engaged in